A Vacation, A Pilgrimage, Life and Healing

Hello Out There! How are y'all doing? I am just fine! Jim and I returned home on
Wednesday evening. We took a little vacation to celebrate our 32nd wedding
anniversary! We love to visit Catholic Churches while we are on the road traveling
from one place to the next. I like to think of it as a mini-pilgrimage! I got out my
big ole Random House College Dictionary to look up the complete definition of
the word pilgrimage. On page 1006 it says:
pilgrimage n. 1. a journey, esp. a long one, made to some sacred place as an
act of devotion. 2. any long journey, esp. one undertaken for a particular
purpose, as to pay homage.
I'm not sure if our visits are really a pilgrimage, but they are definitely a must on
any of our trips out of town. I don't know if Jim and I will ever make it to The Holy
Land, Lourdes, Fatima, or to Rome but we do try to visit Catholic Churches wherever
we travel! I'm going to start with some of the churches we visited on this trip.
Before we head out of town I look up the Catholic Churches along our route and
in the town or city we will be staying.
Last Friday we went to The Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Dallas, TX.
This beautiful church is located right downtown at 2215 Ross Ave. Jim and I parked
and walked around the building until we found the door to go in. This church is
beautiful, you should see the organ pipes! People were inside kneeling and praying.
Jim and I quietly walked around looking at all the stained glass windows, the statues,
and then we knelt down to pray. We found where they were having First Friday
Eucharistic Adoration and we went in there to pray also. We read the historical
markers and walked out into a hallway where they had all kinds of brochures. I
brought several of them home with me. Just listen to the titles of these brochures:


1. Abortion AfterCare-Healing/The Rachel Ministries in Dallas, TX
(214)544-CARE(2273) Helpline
(972)679-4760 Espanol
(817)923-4757 Ft. Worth area
healing@racheldallas.org
www.racheldallas.org
2. Project Joseph - An Outreach to Men Suffering from Abortion
Abortion AfterCare-Healing Diocese of Dallas
(469)416-2101 or
healing@projectjosephdallas.org
3. Convert-to-Life/Sidewalk Counseling
Rescue those who are being dragged to death.......Proverbs 24:11
Catholic Pro-Life Committee of North Texas
Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Dallas
Convert@prolifedallas.org
(972)267-LIFE(5433)
www.prolifedallas.org


I felt overwhelmed as I looked through these brochures! I am just so thankful
that there are so many places for people to call, go online, or go visit to receive
the healing and answers they need. There was also a flyer for the upcoming
Rachel's Vineyard Retreats.
English Retreat - August 21-23 and November 6-8 this year.
Retiro En Espanol - 5-7 de junio and23-25 de octubre
For services or more information with assurance of confidentiality, contact:
214-544-Care (Dallas) - 972-679-4760 (en espanol) 817-923-4757 (Fort Worth)
healing@racheldallas.org or sanacion@racheldallas.org (en espanol)
Retreats for men only/Retiros para los hombres solamente
Project Joseph / Proyecto Jose: www.projectjosephdallas.org 469-416-2101


Tomorrow I will tell you all about the Catholic Church in Jefferson, TX where we
attended Mass! I hope you all have a wonderful Friday evening. I'm going to close
with some of the facts listed on back of one of the brochures:
-Approximately 30 abortions are performed daily in the city of Dallas
-Over 9,750 abortions are performed yearly in Dallas County
-Sidewalk counselors assist approximately 900 women each year to choose life over
abortion
-Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the world
-33% of Planned Parenthood's annual budget is funded by taxpayers
-More than 50% of teenage girls who abort their first pregnancy will develop
breast cancer
-The Susan G. Komen Foundation (Race for the Cure) donates funds to
Planned Parenthood and does not acknowledge the abortion-breast cancer link


I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you
life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and
your descendants may live.     Deuteronomy 30:19


                                          Bye for now, Sharla